The Follower
by Leio13
Summary: Ayumi is finally walking home from school when she hears footsteps behind her. When she picks up the pace, the footsteps speed up as well. Scared, she dives into an apartment building. She knows she can't keep running forever as she will reach a dead end. She will have to hide. Impulsively, she enters an unlocked apartment. To her surprise, someone she knows is inside. AU.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, everyone! I did not put romance as a genre since I find the other two genres more important to the story, but I love Ayushiki so much, so its in there. Nothing too sappy though I hope. Also, by angst I did not mean wangst or complaining; I was thinking more of anxiety.

Well, I hope you enjoy!

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Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

Someone else's feet were imitating Ayumi's. She sped up. They sped up. She slowed down. They slowed down. They were synchronized.

And that scared the hell out of her. Normally, she would accuse Yoshiki, but he went home hours ago or at least she assumed so. He had no reason to stay. Maybe he needed help?

She wanted to check and see if it was him, but her head wouldn't budge. It was glued forward. Instead, she just kept walking. Faster. Faster. Faster.

And the echoes got faster. Faster. Faster.

Ayumi could barely stop herself from breaking into a run, but she refrained from doing so. What if it really was Yoshiki? He would hold this against her for eternity. Or worse, what if it was Satoshi? That would be so embarrassing!

So, she resisted running until her legs began to tremble furiously. Suddenly, she darted down the sidewalk. Her heart beat a thousand times each second and the thuds in her chest were so loud she couldn't even think. All she could do was run.

Block after block after block.

Still, the footsteps wouldn't stop.

She approached an apartment building at the end of the block, and without even thinking, she scrambled inside.

Thud.

Ayumi lay on the stairs, breathing heavily. The footsteps had finally slowed down, but they were much louder now and the volume only seemed to grow. Desperately, she tried to pick herself up. After a couple minutes of struggling, the footsteps were as loud as fireworks. Ayumi tried to stand again, but her arms struggled to hold up her body weight and her legs didn't want to move.

The footsteps stopped.

In an attempt to see behind her, she twisted her neck to an agonizing angle. Through the blurry window was a black silhouette. The follower was outside. The little air Ayumi had in her lungs became trapped.

The area fell quiet.

Then, the footsteps started again.

Ayumi let out a forced sigh and pushed herself up.

Thud.

She was on the steps again. Her head ached as if someone had bashed it in with a hammer. Throughout her trembling skull, a buzzing noise echoed relentlessly. She could hear nothing over the overbearing beep. It was a sort of loud deafness, but it didn't last long.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The lingering strength Ayumi had seemed to drain away, but she had to get up. She had to escape.

...

She could feel his warmth spreading to her from his soft hand. She never wanted to let go. The world was cold and dark without him. No matter how many candles she had lit, everything was still dark, except for Satoshi. He was the sole light in the bleakness.

"Shinozaki-san," his voiced hugged her ears like an angel's wings. She could listen to it all day. "It's going to be alright."

It WAS going to be alright even if she was struggling to breathe two minutes ago. She could finally move her arms again. She no longer felt doomed.

However, she was exhausted and Satoshi's soothing voice did not help. She had fell asleep.

...

Satoshi...

Ayumi recalled his kindness as she whimpered quietly, voice cracking. She wished he was there just like he had been during that blackout last year.

Her vision blurred as tears began to accumulate in her eyes. She longed to see him.

Painstakingly, she trekked up the stairs, her legs screaming with every slow step. Only her will wanted to go on. The rest of her was ready to collapse.

Around her, a symphony of noises filled the air.

Step. Tap. Pant. Wheeze.

Step. Tap. Pant. Wheeze.

Step. Tap. Pant. Wheeze.

Each note singing over the high pitch ringing.

It never ended.

Ayumi started to hiccup. She wished she could just fall asleep in Satoshi's arms, but he was nowhere near. He was probably at home, laughing with Yuka and eating something delicious. He wouldn't be thinking about her. As much as she hated to admit it, he'd more likely be thinking of Naomi than her.

Someday, he and Naomi would have little, perfect children while Ayumi would be trapped under the earth alone. The thought pained her. She was about ready to flop on the stairs and cry. Only the approaching footsteps prevented her.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Pant. Wheeze. Pant. Wheeze.

She couldn't run forever. Besides the fact that she was exhausted, the apartment building wasn't endless; eventually, she'd reach a dead end. She needed to hide.

When she arrived at the 5th floor, her eyesight had became too blurry to see and each step was an aggravating jump that shook her whole body.

Frantically, she began banging on the doors. Her voice was dead as she cried for help.

Creak.

A door downstairs slowly opened. Outside, the wind was howling, but Ayumi could barely hear it over her breathing and the annoying buzz.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Something was coming up the stairs. She wished it was someone who lived there, but she knew it wasn't. It was her follower. Squeezing the knob to the point of strangling its nonexistent life, she jerked the nearest door knob around.

The door wouldn't open.

Of course. It was locked and so were the next three.

Frantically, Ayumi grabbed the last door knob and prayed that it would open. She already knew it wouldn't budge, but she shook the knob anyway.

Suddenly, she was face-first on a wooden floor. She looked around confused. The door was wide open behind her. It must have opened while she was leaning on it.

Ayumi scrambled to her feet, trying to ignore the aches throughout her bruised body. Quickly, she shut the door

Inside, the lights were on. The room appeared rather spacious, mostly due to the lack of furniture. There wasn't much else besides a TV in the corner and a couch facing it.

Looking closely, Ayumi spotted someone resting on the couch. The boy had unnaturally blonde hair and wore grey from what Ayumi could tell. Nobody had that hair. Nobody except...

"Ki...shi..." The sounds barely escaped her. "Kishinuma-kun?"

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Well, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I already have the other chapters written out (because otherwise they would probably never come to be), but if you have any advice, please let me know! There is always time for changes.

The next chapter may be uploaded sometime this week or in about 4 weeks because of traveling plans. It will probably be the former, but who knows.

I hope you come back for the next chapter. See ya!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey there! I'm sorry for keeping you all waiting! I said I hoped to publish the next chapter in a few days instead of two weeks and well, here I am publishing two weeks later. Sorry about that. Anyway, I'm really happy you guys are all still reading this and hope you continue to enjoy my story. On that note,

Enjoy Chapter 2!

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Ayumi inched forward timidly. She wanted to see the boy clearly.

It was him! She had never been so excited to see the blonde until right now.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Ayumi could hear the footsteps thudding up the stairs. She froze.

After a minute of paralysis, she rushed to Yoshiki. She glanced at his frowning face quickly before crying out, "Kishinuma-kun!"

No response. "Kishinuma-kun, please!"

Yoshiki groaned as his eyes reluctantly opened.

"Sh-Shinozaki!" The boy suddenly shot up, almost knocking over Ayumi in the process. "H-How did you get in here? What happened to your head?"

"Forget about that." Ayumi could hear the footsteps approaching. "Lock the door...please!"

Her eyes, flooded with desperation, implored him. There was no way he could say no to her. "Alright. Just- just sit down."

As Yoshiki headed to the door, Ayumi hesitantly placed her hand on her forehead. Her head stung as she made contact. What had happened?

Her skin was wet and slippery. Shakily, she removed her hand. It was covered in slime. She didn't want to think about what the slime could be, much less actually see it, but she had to look. She had to know.

Her hand was coated in red like a kid who refused to wash his hands after finger painting. The red dye slowly slid down her hand, over her wrist and onto her sleeve. She screamed.

Wheeze. Gasp. Wheeze. Gasp.

All the air seemed to disappear as Ayumi desperately attempted to suck it in. Her hand jerked back and forth as if she was trying to grab something, but kept changing her mind. Her other hand clutched at her shirt like her life depended on it. Her arms and legs tingled viciously. What if she lost control of them? She'd be stuck on the couch forever. Easy food for the follower.

Her brain seemed to bounce around with every jolt and her eyes darted around the room. Yoshiki was running towards her.

"Shinozaki!" He almost grabbed her shoulders, but stopped. "Are you okay?"

Ayumi's head shook furiously and wouldn't stop. It was as if she had to continue in order to survive.

Yoshiki wasn't sure if he should hold her or keep his hands away. She would hate him later if he touched her, but she needed comfort. Ultimately, he decided against it and instead sat down next to her on the couch.

"Sh-shinozaki," What should he do? He wasn't Satoshi; he didn't have magical calming powers. "It's going to be okay. You're safe now."

He glanced at her bloody face and then at her hand; he'd found the problem. "I'll get some bandages, okay? You stay here."

Yoshiki stood up, but Ayumi wouldn't let him go any further. She tugged on his black jacket desperately. Her head still shaking the whole time.

"Alright. Alright. I won't leave." He looked at her venerable face. Her head was a bloody mess. "But you need bandages fast."

Ayumi's hand vibrated frantically as she pointed to her bag. Did she want Yoshiki to look in her bag? She would kill him if he did. "Y-you want me to...?" Ayumi's head shook up and down, her teeth chattering with every movement. "A-are you sure?"

Ayumi nodded again before suddenly gripping her chest. She no longer seemed to be breathing as she sat frozen in place, eyes wide in terror.

"Shit!" Yoshiki spat under his breath. Without thinking, he unzipped her bag and peered inside. It was filled with books and candles. No surprise there. Desperately, he dug deeper. There had to be something in there that Ayumi wanted him to see, but what was it?

Towards the bottom was a roll of bandages. Yoshiki snatched them and quickly turned towards Ayumi who was gasping for air. He instinctively placed his hand on her shoulder. "Shinozaki, I found some bandages. Please try to stay still."

He could hear her breathing steady a tiny bit. Thank god. Slowly, he wrapped the white roll around her head, trying not to make it too tight, but not too loose either. He was pretty impressed with his handy work and couldn't help but grin. "How's this?"

Ayumi slowly nodded and Yoshiki could feel her shoulders relaxing. He should've probably let go, but he didn't want to. He figured it was okay to be a little selfish. Besides, it was comforting her, right? He hoped so.

Ayumi struggled to keep her eyes open. She was ready to collapse, but she couldn't go to sleep. Not in Yoshiki's house and especially not with someone following her. "You look exhausted. You can rest on the couch if you want."

Ayumi shook her head and realized his hand was still on her shoulder. She slipped out of his grasp and hoped her face wasn't as red as she thought it was.

Either way, there was no way she was sleeping on his couch. She couldn't trust him to be with her alone when she was sleeping. If only he was Satoshi. Then, this would no longer be an issue and she'd be fast asleep.

Yoshiki noticed her reluctance. Struggling to keep his voice down, he shouted "I-I'm not going to do anything if that's what you think!"

"You're a delinquent; why would I trust you?" A spear seemed to fly straight out of Ayumi's mouth and into Yoshiki's chest. If only he was Satoshi. Then, Ayumi would actually have faith in him and she'd actually rest.

"Whatever. Go to sleep if you want to. I'll be sitting on the floor." Yoshiki tried to remove the growl from his voice. It wasn't very successful, but he was true to his word and sat on the wooden floor.

Now, the couch was all Ayumi's and the battle to resist sleep became more of a struggle. Suddenly, she didn't even care about Yoshiki's presence; only her follower kept her alert.

As if on cue, Ayumi could hear a door opening and the wind screaming from outside. The follower was gone and her eyes surrendered to sleep.

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Thank you for reading chapter 2! As usual, feel free to leave a comment (compliments, criticism and suggestions are welcome!) and I hope to see you during chapter 3!


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys and girls! I've finally uploaded the third chapter. If you don't not like inappropriate language, I will warn you now that there is one swear. Sorry. Anyway, enjoy!

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Ayumi's eyes shot open. She looked around to see Yoshiki get up from the floor. He mumbled under his breath. "Who could it be at this hour?"

As he headed towards the door, something grabbed his shirt; it was Ayumi. She was shaking her head. Yoshiki sighed and sat down on the couch.

They waited in silence until the footsteps grew softer. Then, Yoshiki spoke up. "Shinozaki. What is going on?"

"Some...someone is following me!" Ayumi broke out into tears and hugged Yoshiki's shirt. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her. He would never let her go. He didn't know who was after her or why, but he would protect her. "Don't worry. I'll protect you no matter what."

Behind that film of chivalry and confidence, he was shaking inside. Hopefully, Ayumi wouldn't notice.

Who was following her? Why? Yoshiki couldn't understand any of it. What was so special about Ayumi? Of course, he thought she was special but that was because of other reasons.

Meanwhile, Ayumi was surprised. Partially because Yoshiki had hugged her, but mostly because of her own reaction. She was actually grateful that he had. Before, the idea of personal contact with Yoshiki left a bad taste in her mouth. Now that his arms were actually around her, she didn't want him to let go.

Ayumi heard a shout in the distance, "What do you want at this hou-"

The voice was cut off by a piercing scream. Even after the dreadful noise had faded away, Ayumi could still hear it echoing throughout her throbbing skull. She shivered.

The follower was going to find her and kill her. She was dead.

She gasped for air in between loud sobs. Oh god, why her? She almost wished it was Naomi instead.

Yoshiki's grasp tightened, but it only scared her more; what if he accidentally strangled her?

Ayumi squirmed around and fought Yoshiki off while coughing. He immediately let go. "What's wrong?"

"I-" she gasped for air. "I can't breathe!"

"...!" Yoshiki looked away guiltily, "I'm...sorry about that."

"It's okay." She said shakily. Tears were still pouring out of her eyes and she continued to struggle for air. "Oh god! I'm going to die!"

"You're not going to-I- I'll protect you!" Yoshiki grabbed Ayumi and looked directly into her eyes. She couldn't look away. "I'll protect you...no matter what."

Ayumi nodded, gulping down her tears. She was so grateful Yoshiki was here although she'd never admit it.

"Why don't we stay in my room?"

"N-no way!"

"I-idiot!" Yoshiki appeared flustered. "It's safer in there! Not because-you know..."

He was right. It was safer in his room since it was farther away from the door, but Ayumi still was hesitant to enter it alone with him.

On the other hand, He did prove himself earlier to be trustworthy. She guessed it couldn't hurt. "I guess I'll go...but alone!"

"Alright. Alright." Yoshiki threw his hands in the air. "I'll stay here."

What if the follower killed Yoshiki? Ayumi shuttered at the thought. "You can...you can come if you want."

"Nah. I'll stay out here." Yoshiki grinned at her. "Someone's gotta guard the door, right?"

"Okay." Ayumi entered his room alone. It was rather bare inside. There was a desk with a chair parked in front and a bed in the center of the room.

Curiously, Ayumi peeked at the desk. There was a framed photo on it. She couldn't resist looking. She was in it along with the rest of her friends. Of course, Satoshi was next to Naomi as much as it annoyed her.

She put the photo down and noticed something else on the desk: a pack of cigarettes. Sighing, she brushed it into the nearby trash bin. She really hated some of his habits, but she had to admit (not aloud of course), he had been rather gentlemanly that night.

Exhausted, she flopped onto Yoshiki's bed. Her face was burning at the thought of this happening, but after her previous nap failed; she just wanted to actually sleep.

The bed smelled like smoke and mint. It was surprisingly comforting and that annoyed her. She couldn't support these habits, but for now, she would have to accept it.

A rough song flowed through the cracks in the door like a mother's lullaby that was a rock song. A smile slipped on her face. Yoshiki wasn't the best, but he was alright and he always managed to help Ayumi. She wondered why.

As her eyelids grew heavier, Ayumi reviewed all that had happened that night. An hour ago, she had been running frantically down the streets. Now, she was lying on a delinquent's bed. She would have never believed such a story this morning, but somehow now it didn't surprise her. Was she adjusting to Yoshiki's protection? Had he become her knight in shining armor? She slapped her cheek. No. Her knight was Satoshi. Even still, the grin remained on her face as she drifted into sleep.

I hope you enjoyed the third chapter! The next chapter is the final chapter! I cannot wait. See you then!


	4. Chapter 4

Its time! The last chapter! So without further ado, enjoy!

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Bang. Bang. Bang.

A knocking sound startled Ayumi awake. Was someone at the door? No. The follower had left. He was gone.

Click.

The sound of the lock moving sent shivers down Ayumi's spine. Everything was silent and still as the door creaked open. Ayumi didn't dare move.

Yoshiki said something short, but she couldn't understand what. Nothing made any sense to her. She could hardly think.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Her hands grabbed the sheets tightly. She couldn't let go. Her lungs scrunched together and any remaining liter of air flew out into the darkness, gone forever. She gasped desperately, but every breeze avoided her.

Her whole body shook. She wanted to punch herself and wake up, but her hands were plastered to the bed.

All sounds were drowned out by the accelerating thumping in her chest. Every inch of her jerked with her heart beat.

Suddenly, everything fell silent. Ayumi's heart failed to beat. She officially stopped breathing, yet she heard a gasp.

It was soft, but full of innocent surprise. Time seemed to stop.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Thud.

An uneven beat of footsteps echoed throughout the apartment and ended with a crash.

Ayumi's heart almost leaped out of her throat. Her lunch lurched up her esophagus and her hand finally broke free just in time to cover a gooey scream.

Umgh.

The bile wouldn't go down. Ayumi desperately sucked air in through her nose. The unbearable stench caused her to choke and all of the slime flooded over, slowly slipping down her trembling chin, eventually dripping onto the gray sheets.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The despair increased with the volume of the tapping.

It stopped.

Ayumi's whole body continued to move furiously yet it wouldn't go anywhere. Instead, she shook and shook and shook. She could feel the gastric ocean rush up against her walls and retreat. Again and again and again. The waves seemed to leap ten meters into the air and the boat of her sanity rocked and rocked, threatening to capsize each ticking second.

Ayumi hiccupped a couple times. She desperately tried to stop, but it was nearly impossible. Water leaked out of her eye sockets, leaving Ayumi to shiver in the remaining damp clothes. A voice shook in her head and she couldn't tell where it came from. "Oh god. Oh god. I don't want to die! Not now! Not like this! Satoshi!"

Somehow, she forced her body to turn towards the window behind her. A light was shining on the window.

More tears streamed down Ayumi's face. With her remaining energy, she picked herself up from the bed and inched towards the window. Each step was like a five meter jump as her brain rattled up and down in her trembling skull. She grabbed the window impulsively and stopped. What was out there? What awaited her in the dark?

The window moaned as she pried it open. After each passing second, she reviewed the situation. Should she look outside? Was it safe?

Finally, she peaked her head out the window. There on the road was a boy her age with brown hair looking up at her with warm eyes. He smiled softly and extended his hand although she could not reach it.

She squeezed through the window and almost ran down the fire escape, yet she stopped. Glancing behind her, she watched the window, waiting for a blonde head to pop out, but nothing came.

A door groaned from inside and she fled to the pavement. She had almost kept running until two arms caught her and held her in a long-desired embrace. It was everything she ever wanted and it was everything she never wanted.

Finally, she could cry. She was safe at last. But why? There was no way Satoshi just happened to be outside. "H-how d-did you-?"

"Shh..." Satoshi placed a finger on Ayumi's trembling lips. "Yoshiki texted me to walk you home."

Yoshiki had never climbed down the fire escape. He had never peered out the window. He had never entered the room. He was still in the living area.

Slowly, Satoshi attempted to lead Ayumi away from the desolate apartment, but she refused to move. "B-b-but Kishinuma-kun! H-he's still in there!"

Satoshi looked away from Ayumi and away from Yoshiki. What could he say to her? "W-what are you doing?! We can't just leave him! He needs us!"

"We have to go." Satoshi's voice trembled and he hoped Ayumi wouldn't notice. He need to be strong for her. He needed to be strong for Yoshiki.

"N-no!" Ayumi's arm stretched behind but they were too far and she could no longer reach Yoshiki. He was already too far away.

"Noo! Kishinuma-kun!"

Her piercing scream echoed through the early morning tranquility, sending a chilling breeze down the street. Even still, they trudged on into the dim sunlight.

 _ **Fin**_

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Wow. I'm so happy I could finish this story and more importantly, that you're all with me, celebrating the end of this tragedy. I really hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. As always. feel free to leave a comment.

See ya!


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